COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio Dominican Panthers football team will hit the road to head north to the suburbs of Cleveland for the 2023 season opener. Ohio Dominican will take on the Notre Dame College Falcons on Saturday (Sept. 2) afternoon at Mueller Field. The opening kickoff for 2023 is set for 12:00 PM.
GAME DAY INFORMATION
OPENING KICKOFF
- ODU ended the 2022 season with a 7-3 record and 6-2 in the G-MAC with a 20-10 win over Hillsdale at home. The Panthers finished tied for second with the Tiffin Dragons and Findlay Oilers.
- ODU finished with its 12th consecutive winning season, dating back to the 2011 season.
- In season openers, the Panthers are 13-6 overall in program history. When opening on the road in Week 1, ODU is 6-3. In Week 1 games within the Buckeye State (home or away), the Panthers are 9-4. ODU has won four of the last five openers.
- 17 players were named All-Conference for the Panthers, including two special award winners. Jaylin Garner was named Defensive Player of the Year and Ty Keirns was Offensive Lineman of the Year.
- Kelly Cummings begins his eighth season in Columbus as the head coach. The Panthers are 48-21 with Cummings at the helm as Cummings became the ODU wins leader late last season, surpassing Bill Conley.
- Ohio Dominican was receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll for the second straight year.
- The Panthers were voted fourth in the 2023 Great Midwest Preseason Coaches Poll, despite only finishing outside the top two spots once (tied for third). Ashland, Tiffin and Findlay were all ranked ahead of the Panthers.
- This will be the first time Ohio Dominican has faced a Mountain East school. Notre Dame was a member of the GLIAC in 2012, the first time these schools played.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
- 4 - Ohio Dominican was chosen fourth in the Great Midwest Preseason Coaches Poll for the second straight year.
- 7 - ODU has won seven games for 9 straight Fall seasons and 15 times in program history.
- 16 - The Panthers have 16 returning starters from the 2022 season that started at least one contest (7 offensive/9 defensive).
- 200 - This will be the 200th game in program history, kicking off the 20th season of Ohio Dominican football.
NOTRE DAME AT A GLANCE
- Notre Dame enters the 2023 season as the reigning, defending Mountain East Champions of the last five years. The Falcons have qualified for the NCAA postseason for the last four seasons.
- NDC was 9-3 overall in 2022 and 9-1 in the MEC. The Falcons lost the season opener and the NCAA first round game to the same team - on the road at Ashland. A mid-season loss at Frostburg State snapped a four-game win streak and started a five-game winning streak that ended in the playoffs.
- With nine wins last season, the Falcons have won at least nine games in five of the last six full seasons (excluding the 2020-21 Spring COVID season).
- Notre Dame is remarkable at home in Mueller Field. Since 2016, the Falcons are 36-3 at home. They have won 16 straight home games, dating back to their last home loss - Novemeber 9, 2019 vs. Glenville State. With the loss, they have won 28 of the last 29 home contests since the 2018 season (start of the five-straight MEC titles).
- In 2022, Notre Dame averaged 31.5 points scored, 144.5 rushing yards, and 216.3 passing yards per game on offense. The Falcons allowed 15.5 points, 131.2 rushing yards and 157.2 passing yards per contest. Overall on offense, the Falcons sit fourth in scoring, sixth in total offense and passing and eighth in rushing. For the defense, NDC is first in scoring, passing and in total defense along with third in rushing.
- Penalties were an issue with the Falcons as they made 115 penalties in 12 games, ranking the third most among 163 D2 schools.
- Notre Dame's defensive efforts helped the Falcons with a D2-best six defensive touchdowns and a 86.73 defensive pass efficiency. They had 20 interceptions, the second most in D2.
- Garrett Mack enters his second season at the helm of the Falcons. He went 9-3 in his first season. He has been with Notre Dame since the 2020 season as an assistant.
- In the 2023 MEC Preseason Poll, Notre Dame was selected for an a championship six-peat, earning 100 votes and ten of the 11 first place. Frostburg State was selected 2nd as the only MEC team to defeat NDC last season.
- Isaiah Murphy moves into the QB1 chair after sitting behind Chris Brimm for the last few years. Murphy was 14-of-31 for 143 yards in his limited action in 2022.
All-MEC Second Team running back Idris Lawrence is back after a 1,069 yard season with eight touchdowns.
- Tight end CJ Kiss, an All-American and First Team All-MEC, returns for the 2023 season after 20 catches, 198 yards and four touchdowns.He was named to the D2Football.com Watch List.
- Antoine Holloway II and Jacalyn Morrison return in the secondary, combining for six interceptions.
- Cameron Shirkey, a Fred Mitchell Watch List member, was a All-American last season. He led the Falcons with 102 points, hitting 19 of 21 field goals and 45 of 46 extra points.
- Notre Dame is losing the reigning MEC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American Nathan Moore, who led the Falcons with 122 tackles and 15 tackles for loss.
SERIES HISTORY
- After a scoreless first quarter, Ohio Dominican took off with 38 combined points in the second and third frames in a 45-7 win over NDC in their first and only meeting in 2012.
- Mark Miller accounted for two passing touchdowns, including touchdown passes to Andy Mick (13 yards) and Ronald McCloud (36 yards). Miller threw for 235 yards in the air.
- Brandon Schoen scored twice on the ground in an 119 yard effort rushing. He opened the second half with a 69 yard scamper to the endzone. Mark Nichols added two rushing scores of his own.
- The Panthers outgained the Falcons, 513-233 in the game, as Ohio Dominican rushed for 278 yards to Notre Dame's 114.
- Dez Stewart caught five passes for 143 yards receiving.
- Defensively, Justin Bell had nine tackles while Eisen Hardy added eight. Martavius Lewis and Cameron Lewis both added interceptions.
- Warren Shields blocked a first-half field goal attempt, keeping the game scoreless.
